Which breed?

[debbiew]

Airdale's are alot of work. I had a wirefox terrier, which is a miniture of Airdale, and she was sooooo much work. I love dogs, and can't live without them, and she was still alot of work. The coat requires so much plucking, you can't just shave them with shears. Anyway, I am sold out on Labs. I have six children the oldest 16, and the youngest 2. My golden is wonderful, but sold out on my lab. He is now seven months old, and is best friend to my little ones. He is very respectful to their size. A healty lab is also low maintenance. No need for professional grooming etc. The biggest problem I have heard about a lab is they can be destructive (chew and destroy things) in their early years. My boy however, has only chewed one thing in his 7 months of life, and never had an accident in the house. I believe it is the way we have raised him (just like a child). Even though he is already 70 lbs, he lives in the house. We have him crate trained from day one, and kept him on a schedule. At 10 at night we look for Cody, and he is already in his crate with the door wide open. He gets LOTS of exersise. His favorite exercise is jumping on the trampoline with my kids. He loves it. While I don't think he would ever bite anyone, I know he would pull anybodies bluff, if you know what I mean. Cody is truly a gentle giant.

[corsomom]

GDSGregory, I agree with everything you said except the part about getting a game bred pit. I dont think this would be a good choice for a first time dog owner.I would start checking out humane soc. Thats where I found my first dog.She was a great dog and very good watch dog. But again, I would not get a dog just for that reason, I would want a companion that would be loved and taken care of for life.

[Renee750il]

Gamba, Darkchild and Corsomom have given you some very excellent advice . . . check out the shelters! It's going to be at least a year and a half before a pup is going to be any protection, and, depending on the breed, that long before it's even a deterrent. Look around in the shelters near you. Think about how much room you have for a dog, how much exercise and playtime you will be able to supply, etc. If you've got a moderate amount of room and a fenced yard, an Australian Shepherd or Aussie mix could be a good match . . .

[RD]

Gempress made a good point about most dogs being a deterrent. I still do not know many people who will dare touch my car when my cute, fuzzy, 40lb dog feels like giving them a scare.

Re: Burglars suing.. that's one of the thing I will not miss if I move to Mexico. That kind of crap just doesn't fly there; if you are bitten by a dog while trespassing, you are to blame - not the dog, not the dog's owners. It will be nice to let my dogs be dogs and not worry about someone pressing charges for their own stupidity.

[Renee750il]

We don't have much trouble with that sort of attitude here either, RD. If you're trespassing and get your butt munched by the dog it's pretty much your bad luck . . . Worse luck if the owner's home, lol!

[good_dog]

I wouldn't recommend a APBT, terrier, or guardian breed for a first time owner... and I'd only suggest a lab or a GSD if you had an experienced person to help you find a good breeder and pick the puppy.

Personally, I'd seriously consider a smaller dog with a "big dog" voice. Many beagles or dachsands sound like they weigh 150 lbs when you're on the other side of the door. They make great alarm systems and are a much more manageable temperament... depending on bloodline, of course. Dachsies can be a bit more dominant, but it still should be relatively easy to find a good one. They also mature quicker, and develop that "warn the pack there's an intruder" instinct sooner than a larger breed.

I also might consider a Great Pyrenees. They are great with kids, are good guardians, and are laid-back enough that they avoid all-out confrontation unless absolutely necessary. They also shed mountains of white fluff in the spring, and smaller amounts year round. If you seriously consider this breed, though, you ABSOLUTELY need to get him in obedience classes, both for training and for socialization.

As for bitch vs. dog... In my opinion, bitches tend to protect people while dogs tend to protect territory. Of course, either will be protective when there is a definite threat.

Beth

[gdsgregory]

Originally Posted by Georgygirl

The poster said that an APBT will not attack humans. I think they were implying that the LOOK of an APBT would be enough to deter a lot of burglars even though the pit would probably only lick them to death. Definitely not a breed for just anyone. I'd do a lot of reseach before getting a pit bull. The breed deserves very responsible and well informed owners. You'd also have to check in on your city's stand on BSL if you think about getting any bully breed.

Georgygirl,
Thats exactly what I meant given that a true game bred animal would be culled if it were to bite a human (at least here in the UK) but nevertheless 90% of "pit bulls" are sadly nowadays "yard dogs" with a distorted temperament which has got the breed a bad reputation.
Also with hindsight I agree that an APBT is not for everyone but my experience with this breed gave me 2 wonderful child safe easily trained bundles of fun. But they were $2,500 each 16 years ago and were true game bred animals. However I will agree with you that I am probably wrong to suggest this breed when generalising to someone with no experience.

[Trip]

If I were going to get a dog for "security" and I didn't want him/her to bite... been down that road unintentionally and they still want to put my dog down and there is now a muzzle order... I would get a fierce looking noise making dog with a reputation... A pit bull or a rotti are both lovable dogs, sweet to no end to their families but what person in their right mind would break into a home with one, esp if you get an alarm sticker ( don't need the alarm system if too expensive, sticker is a deterrent, also lots of guard dog on duty signs) also they have mock security cameras you can buy or you can make your own. Don't get a dog solely for the reason of home security... it's a nice perk but shouldn't be the main reason... dogs are companion animals, if you want a companion first and a security measure second, then by all means get one with a rep... my best friend has a pit bull and a rotti (not for security, rescues from a pound) and no one would even think of breaking into their house because you can tell by the bark that they mean business... all told any dog, even a med to small dog can be a noisemaker, which is really all you need. If you don't really want a dog, a security system, or just the sticker, good locks and beware of dog signs are pretty good deterrents. Sorry you got me in my education, didn't mean to hold forth...

[good_dog]

I don't know about where you live, but here you should NOT get a "Beware of Dog" sign if you have a dog.

It's considered admission that you have an aggressive, dangerous dog.

Beth

[Trip]

I live in Ont, Canada... I had to get one with the muzzle when my dog jumped someone making a delivery when they walked into my house unannounced, hence the been down that road thing...however if you don't have a dog or you have a dog that isn't aggresive it won't be a risk... it' does warn that if you are on premises and aren't supposed to be then there could be consequences. I stand by my theory that if your wanting a dog just for security, and not companionship, a sign and sticker for the windows, works quite well.